Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1) Who is the woman on the cover of the first Black Sabbath album?

    She was a model called Louise. No further information is known at this moment

2) Who is the guy on the cover of the Paranoid album?

    Don't know. Information needed!

3) What is the purpose of this site?

    When I started collecting records by Black Sabbath, I soon ran into questions. How can I distinguish if this record I just bought really is the original? Or, I paid a lot for this record, I wonder how much it's worth? Or, I wonder how complete my collection is right now? So I started this website to answer my own questions, and yours as well :)

4) So, what is the most valuable record by Black Sabbath?

    With eBay as a guideline, you could say that prices fluctuate. Some auctions gives more information than others, which means more collectors see it and bid. Sometimes you are lucky and win an auction for $25, and the next week exactly the same record sells for $250. The most expensive record I have seen with Black Sabbath was a test press (can't remember which one it was) and it was sold for £500. That can just be an one-off though.

5) In the Record Collector Price Guide I see this really expensive split single with Black Sabbath and Status Quo. Wow, that must be really rare!

    Well, it's not. Record Collector states that it was pressed in 100 copies. I really really doubt if this is true. I have personally seen 20 copies being sold on eBay for the last 5 years, which is a lot if there are only 100 copies in existence. Record Collector states that it's worth £750, which is totally unrealistic. You could get it on eBay for $250+.

6) Was the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath LP released on Vertigo in the UK?

    No.

7) I want to buy the first UK pressing of the first Black Sabbath album. Which one is the original pressing?

    The label should have this text: "A Philip Record product" under the Vertigo swirl. A picture can be seen here: http://www.sabbath.se/Bilder/vinyllp/blacksabbath_uk_phillipsunderswirl_label_big.jpg

8) What are these early first UK Vertigo pressings worth?

    First of all, only the first four albums are really worth a bit. For copies in really nice condition (excellent or better), expect to pay £200+ for Black Sabbath and Master Of Reality, while Paranoid and Vol. 4 is way cheaper, maybe £40 each. Sometimes you are lucky and get copies for less. It all depends on the condition and the amount of bidders. The hard thing is to find Master Of Reality with the box cover and the poster intact and in mint collection. That is the challenge. These prices are valid in October 2007.